DOJ: Culture of Civil Rights Violations with Baltimore Police

The Justice Department says the Baltimore Police Department routinely violated citizens’ constitutional rights. The scathing 163-report says there is reasonable cause to believe Baltimore police engaged in a pattern of conduct that violated the Constitution or federal law. Vanita Gupta with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says evidence shows there were unconstitutional stops, searches and arrests as well as discriminatory policing. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake says the transparency of the report offers a crucial foundation if the city is going to move forward.

PG Hospital Center NICU Closed Indefinitely

The Prince George’s Hospital Center neonatal intensive care unit is closed indefinitely after the discovery of a potentially deadly bacteria in its water pipe. Two babies died in the NICU last week, but no link has been established between the deaths and the bacteria. Nine infants, including three who tested positive for the bacteria, have been transferred to other hospitals.

Wiedefeld Announces More Metro Weekend Closures

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld says more weekend closures may be included in the SafeTrack program. Wiedefeld says the recent derailment at the East Falls Church station brought more safety issues to the agency’s attention. A complete shutdown of the Red Line between Shady Grove and Grosvenor this weekend has been added to SafeTrack Surge Number Seven so interlocking on the tracks at the Twinbrook station can be repaired.

Trump Says ‘Second Amendment People’ Comments Not Promoting Violence

A senior advisor for Donald Trump says the Republican presidential nominee’s comments about Second Amendment people stopping Hillary Clinton were not a reference to violence. Ken McKay said Trump was simply referring to the power of people coming together to stand up for the Second Amendment. Trump told Fox News “Hannity” that he wasn’t urging anyone to use violence to stop Clinton from becoming president.

Harold Fisher

Harold T. Fisher is a broadcast journalist and author. He is currently the host of the news/talk program, “The Daily Drum” on WHUR-FM and H-U-R Voices, Sirius/XM Channel 141. Highlights of his journalism campaigns include the aftermath of the earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti; coverage of the 2008 Democratic and Republican conventions; the Jena 6 protests in central Louisiana; the Midwestern floods of 1994 and hurricane Andrew in 1992.